The government has finalized the composition of the “Medical Workforce Supply and Demand Estimation Committee” to discuss the medical school enrollment quotas for the 2027 academic year.
The Ministry of Health and Welfare announced on Thursday that it had appointed the members of the manpower projection panel. The committee is an independent deliberative body established under the Minister of Health and Welfare to periodically conduct medium- and long-term projections of the supply and demand for medical personnel.
Under the Basic Health Care Act, the committee consists of 15 experts recommended by relevant organizations, and its meeting minutes and agenda must be made public
The ministry received recommendations on various experts from 21 relevant organizations and institutions, including health care providers, consumers, academic societies, and research institutions. It then appointed 15 members based on their expertise. Among the 15 members, eight were recommended by provider organizations, four by consumer organizations, and three by academic societies and research institutions.
The members recommended by provider organizations are Professor Kye Bong-oh of the Department of Sociology at Kookmin University, Professor Kim Hyun-cheol of the Department of Preventive Medicine at Yonsei University College of Medicine, Moon Seok-kyun, deputy director of the Medical Policy Research Institute of the Korean Medical Association, Professor Lee Sun-hee of the Department of Preventive Medicine at Ewha Womans University College of Medicine, Lee Sang-kyou, dean of the College of Convergence Health Sciences at Yonsei University, Jang Sung-in, director of the Health Insurance Research Institute at the National Health Insurance Service, Professor Jeong Jae-hoon of the Department of Preventive Medicine at Korea University College of Medicine, and Professor Ji Young-geon of the Department of Preventive Medicine at Chonnam National University College of Medicine.
The members recommended by consumer groups include Kang Hee-jeong, director of the Health Security Policy Research Division at the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs, Professor Kim Jin-hyun at the College of Nursing at Seoul National University, and Professor Jeong Hyoung-sun of the Department of Health Administration at Yonsei University.
The academic society and research institute recommended the following members: Kwon Jeong-hyun, research fellow at the Korea Development Institute; Kim Tae-hyun, president of the Korean Association of Health Economics and Policy, and Shin Hyun-woong, director of the Health and Medical Policy Research Office at the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs.
Under the Basic Act on Health and Medical Care, the committee members recommended by provider organizations constitute a majority of the committee. The chairperson will be elected later from among the committee members recommended by academic societies and research institutions.
The committee will hold its first meeting in early August. It will engage in in-depth discussions on specific matters, including models, methods, assumptions, and variables for the long-term projection of physician workforce supply and demand.
“The supply and demand projection for medical personnel is an important task that will serve as the foundation for determining medical school quotas and establishing medical personnel policies after 2027,” Minister of Health and Welfare Jeong Eun-kyeong said. “We will actively support the committee to ensure that it operates scientifically and transparently.”